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The Ordinary vs Shiseido

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes · How the Fit score works

The Ordinary and Shiseido are prominent skincare brands offering moisturizers, cleansers, serums, and more, built around key ingredients like glycerin. The Canadian brand founded in 2016 fits dry skin and dry sensitive skin best, while the Japanese brand founded in 1872 suits sensitive skin and mature skin best. Both brands differ through their distinct formulations, with the former utilizing hyaluronic acid and squalane, and the latter providing gentle daily care. Through these meticulous offerings, its ingredients work effectively to support skin health.

The Ordinary is a Canadian skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 2021.

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Shiseido is a Japanese skincare brand founded in 1872 and owned by Shiseido Company, Limited.

corp.shiseido.comen.wikipedia.orgmarketscreener.com

This page compares some of the most popular The Ordinary and Shiseido products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular The Ordinary vs Shiseido products

People Say

The OrdinaryShiseido
  • Hydration and Moisture Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Immediate sensation of comfort — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “skin feels plump, soft and nourished, eliminates dryness, bouncy feel — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “Skin feels more hydrated — Shiseido Activating Essence”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Value and Price Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “lasts forever — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “can't beat the price — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “extremely affordable — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
  • Texture Smoothing and Improvement Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “skin feels baby butt smooth — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “skin looks smoother and brighter — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “smoothes rough skin — Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence”
  • Radiance and Brightening Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Skin looks brighter, more radiant, and "glowy." — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “faded pimple marks — Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Gel Cream”
    • “Eyes look more awake — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “tight, bright and shiny — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
  • Luxurious Texture Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “silky smooth, rich but non-greasy, absorbs quickly, melts into skin — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “Velvety, rich cream texture — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “Velvety texture — Shiseido FUTURE SOLUTION LX”
  • Lightweight Texture Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Airy-soft texture — Shiseido Essential Energy Hydrating Cream”
    • “absorbs quickly — Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Gel Cream”
    • “Sinks right into the skin — Shiseido Activating Essence”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • High Price Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Expensive for Ordinary — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “Very expensive for the size — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
  • Fragrance and Scent Issues Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Smells like vinegar — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “smell is unbearable — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “has a slight chemical smell — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “old lady smell — Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence”
  • Pilling and Makeup Compatibility Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “slightly tacky — Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence”
    • “A little too much (too greasy) — Shiseido Bio-Performance Advanced Super Revitalizing Cream”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
  • Stinging and Irritation Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Caused some irritation — Shiseido Bio-Performance Advanced Super Revitalizing Cream”
    • “caused red bumpy rash — Shiseido Clarifying Cleansing Foam”
    • “caused red rash — Shiseido Treatment Softener”
    • “irritated AF the next day — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”

The Ordinary vs Shiseido routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · CA$155.67 · 97% fitBuy Shiseido routine · CA$185.97 · 74% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

The Ordinary vs Shiseido routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · CA$198.33 · 92% fitBuy Shiseido routine · CA$313.33 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs Shiseido routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · CA$187.44 · 93% fitBuy Shiseido routine · CA$256.43 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Shiseido: which is better?

The Ordinary is often preferred for its value, whereas Shiseido is noted for deep hydration and luxurious textures. For specific skin types, the products on this page show that The Ordinary achieves a superior routine fit for dry skin, while Shiseido provides an average fit.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Shiseido?

The Ordinary offers more affordable, fragrance-free products with superior overall routine fit for dry skin, whereas Shiseido provides luxurious formulations with deep hydration and radiance benefits.

The Ordinary or Shiseido for dry skin?

The Ordinary offers a Superior routine fit for dry skin, whereas Shiseido provides an Average fit. Furthermore, every product from The Ordinary on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

The Ordinary or Shiseido: which cleanser is better?

The Ordinary offers better-rated cleansers on this page, with the Glycolipid Cream Cleanser achieving a Superior fit for dry skin while Shiseido cleansers range from Average to Caution for that skin type.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Shiseido?

The Ordinary offers much better affordability, as its products on this page are known for providing great value and avoiding the high price point typically associated with Shiseido.

Between The Ordinary and Shiseido, which brand is better for dealing with dark spots?

The Ordinary is better for dealing with dark spots as its products on this page achieve a Superior Lovi fit level for skin with dark spots compared to Shiseido's High fit level, and reviewers note that The Ordinary offers better dark spot fading serums.

How do the fragrance levels compare between products from The Ordinary and Shiseido?

The products on this page from The Ordinary list no fragrance in their ingredients, whereas the majority of Shiseido products on this page contain fragrance.

Which brand performs better for texture smoothing and improvement?

The Ordinary performs better for texture smoothing and improvement, offering multiple textured-smoothing serums that reviewers often mention as a key benefit.

The Ordinary or Shiseido for oily skin?

For oily skin, The Ordinary has a Superior routine fit, while Shiseido has a High routine fit on the products on this page.

The Ordinary or Shiseido: which moisturizer is better?

The Ordinary is often preferred for moisturizers because it offers affordable, highly rated options for dry skin with superior fit levels, whereas Shiseido products tend to have a higher price point and frequently include added fragrance.

The Ordinary or Shiseido for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary offers a Superior routine fit for sensitive skin, while Shiseido has a High routine fit.

The Ordinary or Shiseido for acne-prone skin?

Both The Ordinary and Shiseido offer a High routine fit for acne-prone skin. The Ordinary products on this page list no fragrance in their ingredients, whereas 15 of 20 Shiseido products on this page list fragrance.

Research behind their key ingredients

Behind this comparison

Lovi compares products by their fit scores, calculated from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

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